Sugba Lagoon

Sugba sits behind Del Carmen on the western side of Siargao, and getting there is half of it: boats leave the port and run for half an hour through one of the largest mangrove forests in the country, a maze of green channels with the trees closing overhead, before opening out into the lagoon itself - a wide sheet of jade-coloured water enclosed by karst and forest. A floating platform in the middle carries a diving board and a small hut, paddleboards and kayaks are hired at the entrance, and the water is deep, calm and warm. It is one of the three things everyone does on Siargao alongside the island-hopping trio and Magpupungko, so mid-morning is busy; the first boats out have the lagoon nearly to themselves. Registration is handled at the Del Carmen tourism office before boarding, and the boat is hired per vessel.

What you actually see

• The mangrove channels - the boat run through the forest.
• The jade lagoon - enclosed water ringed by karst.
• The diving platform - the floating hut and board.
• The paddleboards - the standard way to cross the lagoon.

When to go

March to October for the settled season. Early boats avoid the crowd; the tide affects the mangrove channels, so departures are scheduled around it.

Honest expectations

Boats are hired per vessel, so small groups pay more or join others. Fees stack - registration, boat, board hire. Mid-morning brings the tour crowd, and the platform gets loud.

Nearby

Magpupungko rock pools, Cloud 9 and the Daku-Guyam-Naked island trip are the rest of the Siargao list.